Bucks Clinch Home-Court Advantage for 2019 NBA Playoffs with Win over 76ers

The Milwaukee Bucks clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage throughout the 2019 NBA playoffs Thursday with a 128-122 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 59-20 Bucks have transformed from a team with a lot of potential to a legitimate championship contender over the past couple of years.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the main reason for the team's rise, and his MVP-caliber season has both elevated him into the conversation as the league's best player and allowed Milwaukee to emerge as a serious threat to the two-time reigning champion Golden State Warriors and the rest of the title hopefuls.

Giannis Highlight Reel

Completing that leap into the rare air occupied by the Dubs isn't easy, though.

In January, Antetokounmpo spoke with Bill DiFilippo of Dime Magazine about the difference between being an up-and-coming team compared to owning one of the NBA's best records all season.

"It's just the opposite, teams are trying to take us down," he said. "At the end of the day, we have to achieve our goals. Yes, do we have to change our mentality? We do. Our goal is to win the championship and play at a championship level."

Along with the Greek Freak, the Bucks feature plenty of depth with Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez and Malcolm Brogdon helping alleviate the scoring burden as well as a rotation that can go nine or 10 deep when necessary.

Khris Middleton Reel

Milwaukee's odds of making an extended playoff run are bolstered by the fact the East isn't as strong as the West, which also helped in its quest for the top overall record.

Now that the Bucks have clinched home court, there's no reason their fans can't dream big.